1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a data processing system for operating a vehicle information system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle information systems such as, for example, vehicle navigation systems are known. The object of such navigation systems is generally to facilitate the planning of various levels of a user""s itinerary. For example, a navigation system may geographically select an optimum route through the setting of temporal specifications with respect to various destination locations or categorized activities. The navigation system may also heuristically solve the xe2x80x9cTravelling Salesmanxe2x80x9d problem. Apart from navigational assistance, vehicle information systems may provide and process actual location, technical parameters, repair guidance, and various other categories of information relevant for vehicle use.
The present invention relates to the recognition that user interface facilities provided on such vehicle information systems are often less than optimum compared to user interface technology presently available and that the vehicle information systems could in consequence benefit from replacing various elements thereof by facilities that are offered in other devices such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).
Present-day navigation systems generally have their own display facility and their own control. The control may be either a fixed facility or a remote control device. In either case, the input/output facilities thereof are rather limited. On the other hand, present day PDA devices include either a large fully alphanumerical keyboard and a small display or a small keyboard that is much less than fully alphanumerical and a relatively large display that is operated through a geometrically or coordinate-wise organized input mechanism such as, for example, a touch screen or a stylus or another similar activating member. The present invention recognizes that the latter type of PDA in particular may be used to replace and amplify the remote control facilities of known vehicle information systems such as navigation systems.
The PDA device by itself has been commercialized to an extensive degree. However, the present invention proposes using the PDA device as an advanced peripheral device for a vehicle information system. The use of the PDA as a peripheral device make the remote control and display properties of the vehicle information system virtually superfluous. Further, the use of the PDA adds to the level of organizational improvements in that the PDA may be used for data exchange between an office or desktop computer and the vehicle navigation/information system. The PDA may optionally be used for theft control purposes with respect to the vehicle, or for data gathering or command processing for vehicle-based applications, such as fleet management.
The PDA may use an infrared link such as an Infra Red Data Association (IRDA) standard link or other links such as an RS232 standard link for data communication. The bit-rate necessary therefor may be further limited by transmitting data at a higher signal hierarchy such as, for example, on a character level, an icon level, or a vector level. Particular PDA functions which may be utilized in the present invention are as follows.
Loading of routes which have already been planned from the PDA into the Navigation System;
Loading personal and other names from the PDA into the Navigation System so that the Navigation System can complete the necessary data for planning the route while combining and arranging the various destinations according to geographical proximity and other criteria;
Reporting actual arrival times, travel times, and other data to the PDA for updating its internal PDA data, such as those relating to future appointments
Warning a user about a next journey to start, in accordance with appointments that have been made on the level of the PDA;
Implementing a theft control facility through the use of user-individual codes and the interaction thereof with the navigation and information policies of the system; and
Fleet control, that is the management of vehicle movement as forming part of a many-vehicle set, with respect to distribution logistics and other purposes.
Physically combining a vehicle/information system with a PDA will provide for a more efficient intercoupling between the various components of the hybridized organization and therefore raise productivity, as well as allow new and improved results over those of the prior art.
In consequence, amongst other things, it is an object of the present invention to physically integrate the functionality of a vehicle information system and various functionalities pertaining to the field of office automation and particularly the functional features of a PDA.
The object of the present invention is met by a data processing system, including a vehicle information system having a plurality of functional units including a user input/output unit and a position determining unit. The data processing system further includes a personal digital assistant device including an input/output device having a coordinate driven display, a geometrically coordinate-wise organized input unit, and input keys. A remote interconnection connects the vehicle information system with the personal digital assistant device such that the personal digital assistant is arranged for communicating with the vehicle information system.
The object of the present invention is also met by a method for operating a vehicle information system having a plurality of interlinked units, the plural interlinked units including a user input/output unit and a position determining unit. The method includes the step of interfacing the vehicle information system with a personal digital assistant having an input/output device including a coordinate driven display, a geometrically coordinate-wise organized input mechanism, and input keys, wherein said step of interfacing includes interconnecting the vehicle information system with the personal digital assistant via a remote interconnection.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.